The death of Alexi Laiho plunged the metal world into mourning in early 2021, and with the upcoming release of Bodom After Midnight’s debut EP, Laiho left us with some of the best songs of his career. In an exclusive interview with Bodom After Midnight guitarist Daniel Freyberg, he tells us about Alexi’s final recordings and the last time he saw the Children of Bodom legend.

Freyberg's final meeting with Laiho was at the filming of the “Paint the Sky With Blood” music video, less than two weeks before Laiho’s death in December 2020. “That was a good last chat with him. He seemed to be very happy and very excited about the future,” Freyberg says. “I’m really happy that the songs he wrote and recorded are going to be released. He couldn’t wait to get those out.”

As for the three-song Bodom After Midnight EP — Alexi’s first collection of songs since parting ways with Children of Bodom in 2019 — Freyberg says fans will hear Alexi at his very best. “We had a good chemistry and we had fun in and outside the stage or rehearsal room. I hope you can hear it in the record.”

“Unfortunately, Bodom After Midnight as an active band is pretty much going to be buried with Alexi,” Freyberg adds. “We don’t really feel comfortable using the name Bodom without Alexi, because it’s so connected to him … I’ve definitely got something to look forward to and I’m going to continue in the music industry, hopefully for a long time.”

The Last Time I Saw Alexi Laiho

Watch our full interview with Daniel Freyberg above and click here to pre-order Bodom After Midnight’s new EP, which will be released April 23.

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